When did "Pokemon" come out?

The first of the Pokémon games, Red and Green, were released in Japan on Feb. 27, 1996. The first episode of the Pokémon cartoon aired in Japan on April 1, 1997.

Outside Japan, Red and Blue were the first two Pokémon games released simultaneously on different dates in different regions throughout 1998 and 1999. The first episode of the cartoon aired in the United States on Sept. 8, 1998. Pokémon Green was never released outside Japan. Pokémon Blue was the second major release for the franchise there. The first episode of the cartoon was aired in late 1998 in Australia and in late 1999 in the United Kingdom.